Savior
by FalconPrincess
Summary: Charlotte is a young woman living in Alexandria when, by some cruel twist of fate, she is chosen to go back to the Sanctuary with Negan, it's ruthless ruler. It's here that Charlotte learns that the man she fears the most may just be the one to save her. Set a few years in the future, with slight CarlxOC. Rated M mostly because of Negan's potty mouth
1. Chapter 1

Charlotte woke to a soft knocking on her door and pried her eyes open to see the blazing sunlight streaming through the slats on her windows. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands and letting out a huff of breath.

"Come in." she muttered, half turning her head toward the door. The door creaked open and a tall man walked in with shining blue eyes. He smiled gently at her, his angular face softening as he strode over to Charlotte's bed and sat down, engulfing her in a warm hug.

"Hey Rick, nice to see you back safe." She winked at a younger boy leaning on the doorjamb. "You too, Carl. Have a successful trip?" Carl smiled at her and nodded.

"Yeah definitely, we lucked out and found a lot of food and medicine. We're planning on going back to pick up some more in a little bit here if you're interested in accompanying us." Rick offered.

Charlotte perked up at the prospect of leaving the walls of Alexandria, even if only for a short while. It was not often that Rick invited her out to scavenge with them, but she always jumped at the chance to explore the outside world as much as she could.

"Of course I am! Let me just get dressed really quickly here and I'll be ready to head out. Meet me out front?" Charlotte asked, hopping out of bed and moving to get dressed. Rick nodded and moved from the bed, ushering Carl out and softly closing the door behind them. Charlotte slipped on a pair of jeans and a flannel and sat down to lace up her brown leather boots. She stomped down the wooden stairs of the home she shared with Rick, Carl, and Michonne, grabbing an apple on her way out the front door. Rick and Carl were waiting on the front porch along with Rosita and Eugene. Rick was giving instructions to Eugene and Rosita, meaning that Charlotte would be alone with Rick and Carl: just the way she liked it. The two were like family to her, and had welcomed her from the moment they first met in the woods just outside of Alexandria. Eugene and Rosita headed out, the former offering a quick but genuine smile, and Charlotte slung an arm around Rick's shoulders, the three of them making their way down the porch steps and toward the front gate.

They walked in silence, Rick slouched to the side slightly so Charlotte's arm rested around his shoulders and Carl on her other side kicking leaves around the forest floor. Birds chirped overhead and the leaves rustled in the gusty wind, and for a moment everything seemed normal, as if the world hadn't gone to complete shit. Then the ghost town came into sight; rundown buildings, broken windows and overgrown plants, and the illusion was broken. Rick led them to a large wooden door on a building whose sign barely read "Wilson's General Store" and pushed with all his strength on it. It slid slowly open and they entered, leaving Charlotte to stare in awe at the bounty of goods that lay before her. She slipped her backpack off one shoulder at a time, letting it fall with a soft thump to the floor. Carl's voice broke her trance.

"How long until _he_ gets here?" his low voice muttered.

"He comes tomorrow." Rick's gruff voice answered, and he rested his hands on his belt, surveying the goods in the store.

"Well then," Charlotte added, grabbing the nearest items to her, "Let's get to work. Might as well just grab everything, who knows what we'll need or what they'll want to take."

The others nodded and they began grabbing anything and everything they could carry, medicine and medical supplies, food, and everything else they had in the store. With their three bags and a few small shopping baskets they found in a back corner, they managed to clear out the store, coming back a little more slowly due to the weight of the supplies they carried, but luckily enough there were no walkers in sight and they made it back to Alexandria with no problems. Once they had dropped the supplies off in storage, the three of them went back to the house and crashed in the living room, with Rick lounging on a chair with his legs dangling over one of the arms, and Carl and Charlotte taking the couch; him leaning against the armrest with a leg thrown onto the cushions and her head resting in his lap.

Charlotte and Carl had been practically inseparable ever since she had joined the group in Alexandria. She was only a few years older than him (22 as opposed to his 18), but they were best friends from the start. He had taught her how to use a gun to defend herself and in return she had taught him how to cook, he taught her games to play and she had been his first kiss. Their friendship was never anything more than that, however. From time to time one of them would get a little lonely and come to the other for comfort, mostly in the form of either cuddling or kissing, but they both knew that was as far as anything would go. Charlotte contentedly sighed; although this was not the perfect life, it wasn't an especially bad one either. She closed her eyes, comforted by the soft stroking of Carl's hand through her hair, and smoothly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The living room was dark when Charlotte's eyes opened, and it was with a small frown that she realized she was alone in the room. She heard the clanging of the main gate being opened and the crunching of tires on gravel, shortly followed by heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. She sat up quickly when she saw Rick bolt out the front door, and a small smile flickered to her lips when she felt a thick blanket slide off of her, thinking to herself that one of the boys must have been thoughtful enough to make sure she stayed warm. She heard more footsteps running down the stairs and saw Michonne heading after Rick, then Carl came, glancing quickly in her direction and when he saw she was awake, came over to her. He knelt down in front of her and smiled, placing a hand on the couch next to her.

"Hey, what's going on?" Charlotte spoke softly, resting her hand on Carl's arm.

"He's here." Carl's voice was almost a whisper. Charlotte felt a small twist of fear in her belly. ' _It was too early'_ , she thought. "Listen, Dad wants you to stay in the house. Go into Judith's room and stay there with her, you both will be safe as long as you stay in there, okay?" She nodded, gripping Carl's arm and swinging her legs around so they hung off the couch and she was facing him fully now.

"Be safe, Carl. Please don't do anything stupid, don't give him a reason to antagonize us. I love you." She whispered back, pulling him into a hug.

"I love you too, Char." He squeezed her in return, then stood up and leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead before sprinting out the door. Grabbing the blanket, Charlotte made her way up the stairs into Judith's room and locked the door behind her. The young girl was asleep, so she kept quiet as she made her way to the large window opposite the door. She slowly pulled a small part of the curtains back in order to see what was happening outside, and was greeted with the sight of a black truck surrounded by two large supply trucks. At least fifteen men with guns stood around _him_ , a man that Charlotte had never directly encountered, but had learned a while back to be extremely wary of. His leather jacket shone in the lights around the area and a red scarf was wrapped around his neck. A baseball bat was held in his right hand, swinging back and forth while a wicked smile was spread across his lips. She saw him conversing with Rick, making wide gestures as he spoke with the bat and grinning like a madman. His eyes flicked up to where she was peeking from the window and she jumped back, pulling the curtain quickly closed.

"Charlotte, what's the matter?" a small voice called out beside her. She turned to see Judith sitting up in bed, looking worried, so she rushed over to her and wrapped her arms around her.

"Nothing, Judith, everything's okay." Charlotte whispered, picking the young girl up. The two sat in silence, Charlotte gently stroking Judith's hair until she felt her fall asleep. She lay them both on the bed and closed her eyes, praying that when she opened them again, it would be daytime and the Saviors would be gone.

* * *

"Well, Rick" Negan's deep voice was the only sound in the center of the town, "You sure did not disappoint me this time! You've got some good quality shit this time! I think a reward is in order here!"

Rick was scared to hear what this "reward" would be, and for good reason.

"I've decided that my present to you for being so _good_ these past few months is to relieve you of a mouth to feed, so to speak." Negan's smile grew and Rick's blood ran cold. "I've decided that I'd like a new wife, so I'm gonna take one of your _lovely_ ladies here, if they so choose."

Rick's hands began to shake, "Negan I- "

Negan held up a finger, "Now here's where you come in, Rick. I want you to round up all the single ladies in this joint," he gestured with Lucille, "have 'em shower up and make themselves look all pretty, then tonight I'll take my pick. That sound reasonable to you?"

When Rick didn't speak, Negan leaned in closer to his face, his expression becoming deadly, annunciating each syllable slowly, "Does that sound reasonable, Rick?" and Rick forced a nod, terrified of the repercussions if he fought back. Negan's smile returned and he smacked his hand on Rick's shoulder, turned him around and pushed him toward the town.

* * *

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but loud footsteps coming up the stairs startled her to the point where she stood, placing herself protectively in front of Judith where she lay on the bed. Someone tried the handle and, realizing the door was locked, swiftly knocked on the door. She froze, not daring to make a sound.

"Charlotte, open the door. It's me, it's Rick." His gruff voice held a hint of fear, and Charlotte quickly unlocked the door and flung her arms around Rick's neck in a hug. His strong hands pulled her back, and she saw the fear in his eyes now too.

"Rick, what's wrong?" she was almost afraid to ask. His eyes welled up and he placed his hands on her shoulders in a failed attempt to comfort her.

"You gotta come with me, Charlotte. You need to get cleaned up, I'll explain everything."

Charlotte was horrified as Rick told her what was going to happen later than night. He was sitting on top on the toilet as she washed up in the shower, and at one point she swore she heard him choke up. Once she was finished, she wrapped herself in a towel and sat on the edge of the tub, her head in her hands. Rick leaned in closer to her.

"I won't let him pick you, Charlotte, I swear it." He said, and she knew he meant it. She nodded, tears in her eyes, and stood up. Rick followed suit and opened the bathroom door, leading her to her room. When they entered, she saw a bright red dress laying on her bed and blinked back tears.

"I'll be downstairs when you're ready." Rick said from the door, and closed it softly as he exited. Charlotte looked down at the dress and dropped her towel, pulling on a pair of underwear before stepping into the dress. It was fitted around her chest but hung loose from there, and though it did not fit her perfectly by any means, Charlotte accepted that she didn't look horrible in it. She let out a huff of frustration when she attempted to zip the dress up and the zipper wouldn't budge. Not wanting to walk all the way downstairs to Rick, she made her way through the hall upstairs and knocked softly on the last door to the right.

"Come in" a soft voice called out, and Charlotte opened the door. Carl turned to face her, his lips forming a sad smile when he saw her in the dress.

"Char, you look beautiful." He said, coming toward her and embracing her.

She returned his smile and gestured to her back. "Zipper's stuck, can you help me?" she walked further into the room, closing the door behind her and turning around. Carl fidgeted with the zipper for a minute before it finally moved and zipped to her mid back. She turned around to face him, placing her hands on his arms and rubbed them soothingly.

"Char, I don't want it- "

"I know, Carl. I know." Their eyes both filled with tears and Carl pressed his forehead against hers, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and bringing her closer to him. She gripped his arms and sniffled, and she felt Carl's hand move up to the side of her face, his thumb softly stroking her cheek. He tipped her head up slightly so their eyes locked; hers soft and comforting and his filled with worry. She gently squeezed his arm with one hand as the other made its way to the back of his neck, gently pulling his face down so his lips met hers. Their grips on each other tightened as they kissed, both of them recognizing that this may very well be a goodbye but neither of them wanting to accept that as fact. Carl was holding her waist so tightly that Charlotte was sure bruises were forming, but neither of them cared. They kissed until both of their lips felt swollen and when they pulled back from each other, Carl pressed another kiss to her forehead.

"I should get going." Charlotte's voice was hoarse from holding back tears, "I love you, Carl."

He nodded and hugged her tightly once more. "I love you too."

Charlotte left his room in silence and made her way down the stairs to see Rick waiting in the foyer next to the front door. He smiled and his eyes filled with tears when he saw her, and he opened his arms to pull her into a hug when she reached him.

"You look gorgeous. You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Rick nodded and opened the door, stepping out into the firelit courtyard where other women were beginning to line up. Charlotte shivered at the crisp night air and followed suit, going to join the other women. She saw Carl and Michonne step out of the house shortly after, and they went to stand with Rick and the other men and women with husbands of their own. The women were standing between them and a house that used to belong to a woman named Olivia, where five Saviors with weapons were standing guard. Another stood near the front door, and when she received a nod from a man out front, she casually rapped on the door, a fiendish smirk on her lips. Not moments later, the door flung open and out stepped the leader of the Saviors in his trademark leather jacket and red scarf, a devil's grin on his face. He motioned to his guards, and in turn they aimed their weapons at the women and ordered them to line up, an order which they quickly obeyed.

"Ladies, ladies!" Negan called out. "Wow! Don't you all just look _beautiful_." He drew out the last word, approaching them like a tiger approaching its prey.

"Let's begin."

 **A/N: Hey guys! I hope you like where this story has begun, because I've got really good ideas for where I want to take it. Lots of character development and fun stuff ;)**

 **Anyway, how'd you like tonight's midseason finale? I won't give any spoilers, but I thought it was really great. Lots of fun Negan stuff, gotta love Jeffrey Dean Morgan. I'm out of school for a while now, so I should be updating pretty regularly, so just sit back and enjoy! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Negan made his way down the line of women, letting his eyes wander their bodies, greedily taking them all in. Every once in a while, he'd see one that he didn't like and call out something along the lines of "How old _are_ you?", "You'd be one hell of a mouth to feed!", or even "Damn girl, looks like a strong gust of wind could just blow you right over!". Charlotte's heartbeat quickened as Negan grew closer and closer to her, his pace measured and slow. She kept her eyes down, not wanting to draw any attention to herself, and watched as his black boots came to stand right in front of her.

"Hi" his gruff voice was low. Charlotte felt a wave of fear and disgust wash over her, enough that she momentarily forgot she was trying to keep attention off of her, and flicked her eyes up to cast a defiant glare directly into the man's dark eyes. The smile on his lips widened and she clenched her fist, pissed that this man was amused at their fear. He held her gaze before breaking it to drag his eyes down the length of her body, making Charlotte grit her teeth in frustration. He looked back to her eyes, winked, and casually strolled on to the next woman, and Charlotte let out a quiet breath of relief. She unclenched her fist and felt her hands begin shaking, casting a glance back to where Rick and Carl stood and managing a small smile.

"Ding ding ding!" she heard Negan yell out a few paces away from her. "I believe we have ourselves a winner!" he was holding the hands of a woman who Charlotte recognized as a young mother named Victoria, whose husband was turned only a few months back. She was quiet as Negan led her into the house, where he had set up what he called his "marriage bed", and as soon as the door had closed behind them Charlotte ran back to Rick and Carl. She threw her arms around Rick and let the tears that had built up behind her eyes to fall, his strong arms wrapping protectively around her. She felt another, softer hand on her shoulder and she broke from Rick to see Carl; his eyes watering and his arms outstretched for her.

A scream rang out from the house. Charlotte whipped around just in time to see the front door fly open and Negan throw Victoria like a ragdoll down the porch steps into the front lawn. The look on his face was deadly and he grabbed Lucille from the guard next to the door, swinging her around dangerously. Victoria lay crumpled on the ground, heavy sobs shaking her shoulders.

"Well, well, well." Negan's voice was deep and dripping with poison, "Maybe our agreement wasn't quite clear, Miss Victoria. When you say you want to be my wife, I should be able to _trust_ you enough to be able to turn my back for _five seconds_ without you trying to kill me!" he was almost screaming now, his face turned a shade of bright red. Without his eyes ever leaving Victoria, he called to Rick, "Hey Rick, I'm real sorry to change the terms of my little reward here, but I just _can't_ have an untrustworthy wife, now can I?"

From behind her, Charlotte could feel Rick tense, and for a moment she wondered if he was even breathing. Negan lowered Lucille to the side of Victoria's head, and the woman had now sat up on her knees and was staring up at Negan with a look of utter hatred in her eyes. He lifted the bat an inch or so as a sort of test swing, then lifted it up behind his head, preparing to swing with all his strength.

" _No!_ " Before she could even think, Charlotte had crossed the clearing and now stood between Negan and Victoria, her hand held up toward the bat. Negan froze, gazing down at Charlotte with a curious look in his eyes.

"Please," Charlotte pleaded, hands shaking from the adrenaline coursing through her, "Don't kill her. She has a son, she- she has a son. A baby boy, he's very young, you- you can't kill her. Just- just take me instead, I'll be your wife, just please don't kill her." The last sentence came out before she could even take a second to think about what she was saying.

Negan lowered Lucille, a small smirk forming on his lips. He cocked his head slightly to the side and began to nod. He motioned to one of the guards surrounding them, who moved closer to them, lowering his weapon.

"Alright, I'll take you on I guess. Just follow my associate her into the house and we'll get things going in just a minute." The guard gripped Charlotte's arm and began to pull her to the house. She turned, wanting to call out to Rick and Carl, but she couldn't seem to find her voice. Their eyes were filled with tears and Carl was screaming, barely being held back by Rick's arms around his chest. She was so focused on them that she didn't even notice another guard raising a gun to Victoria's head. The door of the house was almost closed behind her when she heard a gunshot ring out, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Victoria's body crumple to the ground.

Charlotte screamed and began to fight out of the guard's grip, kicking and swinging her arms, until she was thrown down on a soft bed and the door was locked behind her. She threw her head back on the bed and let the tears fall from her eyes, punching the bed beside her in frustration. She continued this tantrum until she heard the bedroom door unlock. She sat up quickly and pulled her knees to her chest as Negan walked into the room. He closed the door softly behind him and motioned for her to stand up; the look in his eyes telling her that he was not in the mood to have to ask twice. Wiping the tears from her face with a brush of her hand, Charlotte quickly obeyed, her bare feet softly landing on the carpet next to the bed. Negan came around the side of the bed to stand in front of her, brushing her sandy hair from her shoulder which resulted in a shiver from Charlotte.

"What's your name?"

"Charlotte."

A smirk began to find its way back to Negan's lips. "Now, Charlotte, as my wife you're going to have to know a few things, okay?" She nodded shortly. "First thing's first: I will never touch you unless you are one-hundred percent consenting. Number two: No one else is allowed to touch you. _No one._ Someone so much as looks at you the wrong way, and they deal with me. Understood?" She nodded again. "Good. Now, in order to make things official here, you know, in the eyes of the law" his eyes were mocking and full of mischief, "we here have to _consummate_ our marriage, if you catch my drift." He winked at her and she felt her blood run cold. She understood _exactly_ what he meant. She turned her back to him, looking over her shoulder at him.

"M-my zipper." Was all she could manage to say.

He smiled and moved closer to her, and as he reached her he gently pushed her so she leaned against the wall in front of her. His calloused hands rubbed her shoulders and one made its way to the zipper on her back, unzipping it painfully slowly. The other hand pulled the straps off of her shoulders and let the dress fall to the floor, exposing her bare back to him and causing her to shudder as the cold air hit her body.

"Turn around." He commanded, and she hesitantly obeyed. His eyes raked her body, taking in everything from her large hips to her round breasts. He reached out a hand and placed it on her hip, rubbing his thumb over the soft skin there before turning her back around to face the wall. He pressed his face into the crook of her neck and let his hands roam her body.

"You ever been with a man before?" his voice was muffled as he nipped down on her neck.

"No." she answered honestly.

"Well then, I'll be sure to be extra gentle."

* * *

Morning came, and Charlotte woke to the sound of Negan entering the room. Her heart stopped when she saw what he was holding.

"I figured, since I kind of killed his mother, that you could fill in as a surrogate. We have formula and everything back at the Sanctuary, so you don't have to worry about all the technical bits." He gestured to his chest before asking, "Does he have a name?"

Charlotte nodded, "Gabriel, and I'm not sure I know how to take care of a baby."

Negan threw a hand up, brushing off her comment. "Don't worry, baby, I'm sure some of my other wives can show you how it's done. For now, though, we need to head back to my place, got a lot a shit to do." He moved to the door and gestured for her to follow, so she quickly pulled on her dress from the night before and hurried out the door behind him. They exited the house to find Rick standing in front of the porch.

"Rick!" Negan called. "Just the man I wanted to see."

"You're taking the baby?" Rick asked, incredulous.

"Well I figured, since I _did_ kill his mother, I kinda owe him something. And look at that, that's yet _another_ less mouth to feed for you, Rick! I guess I'm just in a giving mood lately!"

Rick gritted his teeth. "Can I see Charlotte alone for a minute please? I'd like to say a proper goodbye."

Negan sighed and rolled his eyes. "I suppose, but don't you go getting any ideas now." He pulled her close and placed a firm arm around her waist. "She's mine now. Ain't nothing can be done about it."

Rick nodded and Negan entered the house once more. Rick took the porch steps two at a time and hugged her as tightly as possible, muttering into her ear. "You be safe, okay? Just cooperate with him and he won't hurt you. We'll find a way to save you one day, I promise. I love you."

"I love you too, Rick. Where's Carl?"

"Negan only called for me, said I was the only one allowed to come. He would be here if he could, you know that."

Charlotte nodded, sniffling slightly. "Yeah, I know. Tell him I love him too, okay?"

"Of course." Rick pulled out of the embrace and kissed her forehead. "Be strong."

* * *

The ride back to the Sanctuary was silent except for the small gurgles that Gabriel would make from time to time. Negan's hand rested on Charlotte's leg as he drove, and at times he would glance over at her and smirk, as if he was proud of his new possession. They arrived to the Sanctuary around noon and were greeted by ten men, who whispered lowly with Negan before disappearing inside the building. Negan looked back at Charlotte and motioned with his hand for her to follow him inside as well. He led her through twisting hallways until they came to a large room full of many women. Charlotte saw single beds lined up in the room, and the one closest to the door had a crib next to it.

"Charlotte, this is going to be your bedroom. You have to share it with the other wives, but they'll be nice to you, won't you ladies?"

A mutter ran through the women in the room as they turned to look at her, obvious disdain in their eyes. Negan dropped a bag of clothes and baby supplies next to the bed, shot a mischievous smile to the women in the room, winked at Charlotte, then left. She set the baby down in the crib and sat on her bed, beginning to unpack her things when she heard the other women whispering behind her. She didn't turn to look at them, but she knew exactly what they were thinking. She bit her lip, grabbed the baby out of the crib, and lay down, shutting her eyes and hoping that sleep would come quickly for her.


	4. Chapter 4

She woke several times in the night to a screaming baby, and although she did her best to soothe him quickly, she heard groans and curses from the other women in the room. She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep before she felt a sharp jab in her side. She peeled her eyes open to see one of the other wives with a sneer plastered on her face.

"Negan wants to see you." Was all she said before she strutted away, her black high heels clicking on the concrete floor. Charlotte sat up slowly, careful not to disturb the baby, and saw a small pile of clothes on her bedside table. The baby snored softly as Charlotte dressed in a simple white v neck and jeans, deciding to leave her feet bare and gently picking Gabriel up. He readjusted slightly but continued to sleep as Charlotte padded out of the room, wandering around in the hopes she'd find Negan. She passed by many Saviors, most of whom looked at her with disdain, and the others simply looked over her. She finally became frustrated with her wandering and stopped the next person she saw, who happened to be one of the men guarding Negan during his stay in Alexandria, named Dwight.

"Excuse me," she said in a hushed voice, running a frustrated hand through her hair, "could you tell me where the hell I can find Negan? He sent for me and the bitch who came to get me didn't tell me where he was."

Dwight let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, Sarah can be a little short at times. I personally think she's just jealous she doesn't have Negan all to herself. This way." He offered Charlotte a small smile and began to lead her through the halls. Once again, she felt utterly lost, but trusted Dwight to take her where she needed to go. Eventually they came to an open door that led to a large room filled with cream colored couches. Dwight ushered her in, and she was greeted with the sight of Negan lounging on one of the couches, legs splayed open and surrounded by women. He had a drink in one hand and was flirting with a tall redhead, his other hand stroking her cheek. When he noticed that Charlotte had entered the room, his gaze shifted to her and he smiled broadly, pulling his hand away from the redhead to shoo the other women away from him. They exited with annoyed looks on their faces, looking down on her with disgust, and as Sarah passed her, Charlotte calmly flipped her the bird, smiling the whole time.

Negan laughed, beckoning her toward him with his free hand. As she approached, he stood, kissed her cheek and gazed down at Gabriel. He nodded to a small crib in the corner of the room and she placed the sleeping baby down gently before turning to face Negan, who had followed her to the crib.

"What a sweetheart," he commented, his voice sickly sweet. He faced Charlotte now and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face.

"So, darling wife, how are you settling in so far?"

She shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to tell him about how horrible the other women were, and managed: "Fine, I suppose. Gabe's not too happy though, he was screaming the whole night."

"Yes, uh, dear Sarah was eager to inform me of that and I do apologize, but there's just not enough room here for you to have your own bedroom. So everyone there's just going to have to get used to it. Drink?" he offered, gesturing to a table behind him on which rested a couple of bottles of liquor and a handful of glasses.

"No, thanks."

"Suit yourself." He refilled his glass.

"Is that all?" she asked, slightly annoyed that she had to wake up early for a simple check-in.

Negan looked slightly offended, leaning back from her. " _Is that all?_ What, you want me to not give a shit if you're miserable here? I'll tell you what, from now on I won't bother to check in on you, okay?" He turned and motioned to Dwight, who opened the door and let the other wives back inside.

"Negan, I-" she began, immediately regretting her cranky comment.

"Just take the kid and go, okay? You can find me if there's a serious enough problem."

Dejected, Charlotte picked Gabriel up once more, only this time he woke up and instantly began screaming, which only hurried her out the door. She returned to her room with Dwight's help and made up some formula for the baby, frustrated tears springing from her eyes when that didn't soothe him. He screamed for what seemed like hours, and after changing his diaper, feeding him, and trying to find things to entertain him, Charlotte was exhausted and crying about as much as he was. It was late when she finally resigned to placing him in his crib and trying her hardest to rock him to sleep. The other women returned as he was still screaming, most of them muttering something along the lines of "shut that damn kid up" or "if that kid wakes me up again tonight, so help me god I'll kill it". Thankfully, Gabriel fell asleep soon after, with Charlotte following suit.

* * *

It was a week later when she felt a pair of legs straddling her thighs and something cold press against her throat, and her eyes shot open to see the smug face of Sarah. It was dark, with only a small candle illuminating the room, but Charlotte knew that there was a knife on her throat. She swallowed and the knife pressed into her skin more forcefully, the woman above her looking as if she would have no reservations in killing Charlotte. The woman's blonde hair hung down into Charlotte's face, obscuring most of her vision, and Sarah leaned down so her lips were next to her ear.

"I should do it, you know." She hissed. "Yeah, Negan would be pissed for a little while; he always loves getting a new piece of pussy, but he'd get over it after a while. I can promise you that. Don't fuck with me, bitch, or I _will_ kill you."

Sarah slipped back to her bed on the opposite side of the room, kicking Gabriel's crib on her way and flashing a wicked grin to Charlotte as the baby began to cry once more. With no regard to the fact that she was only wearing a small slip, Charlotte quickly picked him up and hurriedly ran from the room. She wandered around the halls, once again getting completely lost, and gave up, sitting on the cold concrete floor while bouncing the baby on her lap. That's where she stayed until daylight, absolutely positive that she was going to go insane before any of the wives had a chance to kill her. People rushed past her on the way to their individual chores and duties, and she vaguely remembered Dwight crouching down next to her and asking something along the lines of "are you okay?" to which she could only shake her head before he hurried away.

The next thing she knew, a pair of strong hands was hauling her up from her position on the floor and she was facing Negan, who was looking worriedly into her eyes. He grabbed her elbow and guided her through the Sanctuary until they reached his bedroom. He took Gabriel from her, placed him in the crib, and returned to her, pushing her gently down onto one of the couches. She stared blankly around, exhausted to the point where she wasn't entirely sure what was going on at the moment.

"Charlotte," Negan said, now sitting next to her, and she turned her head to face him. "What happened?"

Her eyes remained blank until the events of the night returned to her and they filled with tears. She threw her arms around Negan's neck and sobbed into his chest. He was taken aback at this, and gently stroked her hair with one hand as the other lightly grabbed a hold of her waist.

When she finally pulled away from him and attempted to give an answer, she could barely speak through her choked sobs, "They," sob, "she," sob, "said she would," sob, "kill me and – and the baby too and, and-" at this, Negan's face turned red with rage and he pulled her back into his arms to comfort her.

When she had gotten her crying under control, she pulled back from him once more and grabbed the collar of his jacket. "Don't make me go back there and live with them, please don't make me go back." She pleaded, her grip like a vice on him.

"Baby girl, I already told you that there's no other place for you to go-"

" _Please,_ Negan, _please._ " She dipped her head down and the tears began to start once more.

"But I suppose there's enough room for you here to stay with me, and I guess it would be good to have someone else helping to take care of the little monster." He nodded to where Gabriel lay silently. "What do you say about that, love? Would you like that?"

Charlotte nodded fervently and slid her hands around his waist in a tight hug, whispering a genuine "thank you". He placed a long finger under her chin and tilted her head up so she looked him in the eyes, and a small smile grew on his lips: something that Charlotte believed very few people had actually seen. She wasn't sure what overcame her, but before she could think, she had breached the gap between her and Negan. Their lips met in a frantic yet soft kiss, both of them surprised at the woman's actions, but neither of them quite regretting that she did so. Negan's eyes closed slowly and his hand reached the base of her neck, playing with the short hairs there. Their lips worked together as they sat there, completely engrossed in one another, that is at least until Gabriel decided that he was missing out on the attention and began crying once more. Charlotte was the first to break the kiss, a shy look on her face, and stood to comfort the fussy infant. Negan's hand shot out to grab her wrist before she walked away and she turned back to face him. His face was soft and he looked as if he was about to say something to her, but decided against it and released her.

She picked Gabriel up and returned with him to the couch, where Negan made faces to entertain him. He stopped however when he realized that was the first time that he had ever kissed Charlotte. He eyed the woman next to him, watching her interact with a child that was not even hers, but one that she had taken in and had been caring for with no outside help. He was amazed by her, to say the least, and he couldn't help himself as he leaned in to kiss her once more, wanting to savor the sensation. She was much softer, more innocent than his other wives; something he found very intriguing and wanted to preserve as best he could.

She slept in his bed that night: they lay facing each other with her hands on his chest and his arms pulled around her waist. They had pulled Gabriel's crib into his room and some men were in charge of moving her things to his room for her the next day so she would not have to face the other women, from whom Negan decided to take a "much needed break".

That night, Charlotte slept more peacefully than she could ever remember, and she was confident in the fact that this man would protect her at least for the night. His steady breathing calmed her and the sound of his strong heartbeat quickly lulled her to sleep.

 _Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here._


	5. Chapter 5

She woke the next morning to a cold, empty bed. She squinted against the morning sun streaming through the window of Negan's bedroom, and was surprised that Gabriel hadn't woken her yet. She propped herself up on an elbow and glanced over at the crib, and felt her heart stop when the infant was nowhere to be found. She was up on her feet and running to the bedroom door so quickly that her vision momentarily went fuzzy, and it took a second of her stabilizing herself on the dresser near the entrance to the room until she was confident she could continue. When she reached for the doorknob, however, she found that it would not turn and immediately slammed her other hand open-palmed on the door, releasing a grunt of frustration.

"Negan!" her voice was hoarse from sleep. "Negan, let me out! You sonofabitch where's Gabriel?" she continued to pound her hand on the large wooden door. _What the hell was she going to do with herself if something happened to Gabriel? Sure, sometimes the baby drove her crazy sometimes, but she was responsible for him now. His mother had died for Alexandria, and Charlotte had promised herself that no matter what, she wouldn't let anything happen to him. Would Negan actually hurt a baby?_

"Jesus, woman. What the hell is all this fucking racket about?" Negan's voice scolded from behind her. She whirled around to see the man emerging from a side door of the room with a towel wrapped around his waist. To her great relief, Gabriel was squeaking happily in his arms, and she rushed over to take him from Negan's arms.

"Easy there, missy. You think I'd ever hurt a sweet little guy like our Gabe here?" Negan's voice made her feel like a child as she snatched the baby from his arms. "Little fucker wouldn't stop crying this morning, so being the gentleman I am, I decided to take him out of the room for a little bath. The least you could say is 'thank you'"

She brought the infant to the bed, where she lay him down to snap a cloth diaper on him. She was suddenly very aware of the half-naked man on the opposite side of the bed from her and the droplets of water slowly trailing down his torso. The baby fussed and Charlotte muttered her thanks as she hoisted him back off of the bed.

"Some of the guys brought your stuff up earlier" he gestured to a couple of boxes in the corner, "and even managed to rustle up some toys for the little bundle of joy here, figured it'd stop him from crying so much. Now hand him over and you go get yourself cleaned up, and we'll be right here when you're all set." He approached her and held his arms out to take the baby.

Charlotte hesitantly gave the child back and dug through the boxes to find something to wear before retreating into the side door that lead to the bathroom. She turned the knob in the shower and water sprung from the head, making her smile with delight. She hadn't showered since her last night in Alexandria and she was overdue for one, to say the least. She let the water cascade over her, her smile ever present, and quickly washed up, eager to get back to Gabriel. She cut the shower water off and grabbed for her towel, which was a surprising white, but cursed herself when she realized what she had forgotten. She wrapped the cloth around her and shuffled out to the bedroom, back to the boxes. Negan had now donned a pair of pants and Gabriel was on the floor, surrounded by toys.

Negan raised an eyebrow at her, to which she responded with "Forgot underwear" and a sly smile grew on his lips. She squatted and rifled through a box until she found what she was looking for and stood, surprised that Negan was now inches behind her. She turned to face him and looked him dead in the eye, crossing her arms and challenging him. His eyes roamed down her length, and a small frown appeared on his face at the presence of the towel. His right hand slowly moved to guide her arms from her torso, taking the plain black panties in her hand and letting them fall to the floor. Her eyes widened as his body came closer to hers, his left hand coming to rest at the base of her neck. His touch was surprisingly gentle as he tilted her face up to his. Charlotte didn't notice as his other hand approached the top of her towel and tugged, and gasped when it fell to the floor, leaving her completely exposed. His lips quickly captured hers, silencing her gasp, and he pulled her body flush against his. Her right hand found its way to his bare chest as her left came to rest at the base of his neck, and she melted into him.

Her body stiffened, however, when she felt a hand roughly squeeze her ass, and she broke the kiss. She attempted to withdraw from the man, but his arm snaked around her waist to hold her there with him, not quite ready to give up the feeling of her body on his. She glanced downward and managed to separate herself slightly from him, and when he frowned and let go, she quickly gathered up her towel and underwear and returned to the bathroom. She dressed swiftly and emerged once more, sitting on the floor with Gabriel and his toys.

"Has he eaten yet?" her voice was flat, struggling to hide her emotions concerning the previous events and making eye contact with Negan, who was now seated on the bed pulling his boots on.

He shook his head, "Don't know how to make his food."

Charlotte couldn't help but roll her eyes as she picked the infant up and went to the dresser next to the crib, on which the formula and a bottle were now resting. "It's pretty easy, all you have to do is mix the water with the powder."

"Don't get shitty with me, it ain't like I've ever had to take care of a kid." He was standing now, and pulled a white t-shirt over his head.

"I wasn't being shitty, I was just saying that it's really easy if you ever wanted to help out." Charlotte had finished making the bottle and moved to sit on the bed, cradling him in her arm and sticking the bottle in his mouth.

"So me giving the little bastard a bath and letting you sleep for a little longer wasn't helping out?" his temper was quick to rise, and Charlotte chose her next words carefully.

"No, I didn't say that. Of course I appreciate that." She leaned against the headboard and pulled her legs up on the bed as well, crossing her ankles.

A tense silence fell between them, and before anything else could be said, Negan snatched up his leather jacket and Lucille and was slamming the door behind him. Charlotte's momentary shock quickly turned to frustration and she began muttering to the baby.

"I just don't understand why he has to take everything as a personal attack. It's not like I meant to insult him, I was just saying that feeding you isn't really hard at all." She cooed at the infant. Gabriel smiled at her, oblivious to the meaning of her words, and gurgled happily.

Hours passed as Charlotte struggled to find ways to entertain both herself and the child in Negan's bedroom. They napped, she sang, they tinkered with the wide array of toys, and around early afternoon, she had had enough. She quickly dressed Gabriel and tried the door, which she was less than surprised to find locked. She searched the room for anything she could use to jimmy open the door, rifling through drawers until she reached the nightstand on the left side of his bed, where she thanked whatever higher power there was that she found a screwdriver. She yanked it out of the drawer, but paused when a small piece of paper slid to the front. Unable to tame her curiosity, she gingerly picked it up and soon realized that it was a photograph of a young couple. The woman was beautiful and smiling, and the man- _Oh God, that's Negan. He's smiling, like an actual genuine smile._

Slightly taken aback at this, Charlotte slipped the picture into her pocket, closed the drawer, and headed back to the door. Five minutes later, she was walking through the halls of the Sanctuary with the baby on her hip, earning all sorts of looks from the people she passed. She was headed to where she thought the main concentration of activity was when she saw a vaguely familiar face coming her way.

"Dwight, right?" she stopped the man before he could pass her. He seemed surprised to see her outside of the confines of Negan's room.

"Yeah, that's me. Listen, you're supposed to stay in that room, and I'm not sure what'll happen if he finds out you've left."

She held up a hand to stop him, "I'm sure I can deal with anything he has to dish out. I was actually wondering though if you'd be able to help me with something."

The man looked hesitant, "Depends on what you're asking there."

Charlotte shifted her hold on the child, earning a dissatisfied squeak from him. "I need someone to train with. Back in Alexandria I was training and sparring every day, and I think the exercise is really good for me, especially if I'm not allowed to go anywhere outside. It could also help with my, um, situation with the other wives."

Dwight's hesitation only grew, "I'm not sure about that. I'll have to run the idea by a couple of people first, then find someone who's actually willing to help you out, which may be tough. A lot of the folks here don't take too kindly to new people, but I'll see what I can do."

Charlotte managed a small smile and placed a hand on Dwight's arm. "Thank you, Dwight. I really appreciate it."

Her hand was quickly and politely shrugged off, and Dwight nodded his head and continued on his way. Charlotte spent the next few hours down in the marketplace until Gabriel grew fussy and she knew it was time for him to eat. When she opened the door to the parlor that lead to Negan's room, she nearly jumped out of her skin to find him standing near the door, looking large and imposing. She dipped her head and headed quickly to make the baby a bottle, hoping he would say nothing and leave her be.

"Where the _hell_ did you go?"

She was not so lucky.

"We needed some entertainment. Something beyond staring at the walls for hours." Her response was short, bordering on rude, and she stuck the bottle into the infant's mouth.

"Were you not specifically instructed to stay in this room?" his voice was low and deadly, and sent a shiver through Charlotte.

"Can we please not do this right now?" she pleaded, her eyes closing in exasperation.

Negan approached her and placed large hands on her shoulders. "I want you to stay in here so you can be kept safe, you understand that, don't you?" he was visibly more calm, and she nodded.

He softened and gazed down at the child in her arms, brushing a hand lightly over the baby's head. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but changed his mind and walked through the double doors leading to his bedroom. Gabriel ate fast and passed out soon after, and after laying him down in his crib, she followed Negan into his bedroom. She found him standing in the center of the room next to his bed, facing the window and not moving a muscle.

"Hey," her voice was soft and quiet as she moved to stand in front of him. Her brow furrowed when she caught a strange look on his face, a mixture of shock and anger. His eyes were cast down and unfocused and his mouth hung slightly open, and Charlotte bent her knees so her face would be forced into his line of vision. His eyes quickly focused on hers and he stood up straight, rubbing his face and running his hand through his hair while his left clutched Lucille.

"What happened today?" concern laced Charlotte's voice as she came closer to Negan, putting her hand over the one that held the bat and gently taking it from him to place on the dresser.

"An outpost was attacked today." He stated bluntly, attempting to keep his emotions from his voice, "Every single man and woman killed."

Charlotte knew who was responsible for the attack, and she knew Negan was aware as well, but she said nothing, instead gently starting to unzip his leather jacket. She pulled it from off of his shoulders and tossed it to the armchair in the corner next to the window, turning her attention now to the white t-shirt and tugging it up over his head. When his face was revealed once more to her, it held a look of confusion. She placed a hand on his chest, covered in black hair and a tattoo, and gave him a gentle push.

"Go get yourself cleaned up; you've had a long day."

He nodded slightly and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Charlotte alone in the room to change into her slip. It was a tiny, black strip of silk that barely covered her ass, and she sighed as she lifted it by one strap off of the bed. She heard the sound of something connecting with the wall and a frustrated grunt from the bathroom and dropped the slip, quietly shuffling to the bathroom door. She pressed her ear to the door and heard the shower door close, and fought with herself for a moment, unsure of whether she should comfort him further or not.

Cursing herself for being such a bleeding heart, she slid the door open and stepped into the steamy bathroom. The glass of the shower was completely fogged, but Charlotte could just make out Negan's form hunched over under the water, his shoulder resting on the wall so his back was to her. She slowly began to peel off the few layers of clothes she wore and pulled on the handle of the glass shower door. As it clicked open, Negan's head turned slightly toward her before letting it rest again on the cool tile of the wall. She pulled the door shut behind her and closed the distance between them, letting her palms come to rest on his shoulder blades. He exhaled heavily as Charlotte began to knead her fingers into his muscles, trying her best to relax him. She continued for a minute until his hand wrapped around and came to rest on one of hers, stopping her motions, and he turned around to face her, his imposing form towering over her. Her palms now rested on his pecs and his arms snaked around her waist, gently pulling her body against his and letting his cheek rest on the top of her head. She could feel his exhaustion and desperately wished she knew what to say to make him feel better, but instead she pulled her arms around his neck and carded her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck. The water ran over the both of them and they stood still for a few moments before Negan pulled back and tilted her chin up to meet his eyes with two calloused fingers.

"I don't know what the hell has gotten into me when I'm with you, woman." His voice was low and gruff. "First I'm lettin' you and that baby take over my room, now I'm breaking my own no kissing rule."

Charlotte offered a shy smile, "So either you're becoming a real pussy, or I'm just one hell of a wife" she teased, a playful glint in her eyes.

He gave a small grin back, surprised by her banter, and growled, "Don't push me, _woman._ " The hand that held her chin pulled her face roughly to his, pressing his lips firmly against hers and tightening his grip around her waist. His tongue swiped at her lower lip and she parted her lips, allowing him access to her mouth. Their tongues swirled together and Negan's hands drifted down over her ass, gently kneading his rough fingers into her flesh and pulling her hips even closer, to where she could feel his hardening member pressed to her lower stomach. Her lips fell open apart from his and she glanced up into his dark eyes, and he smirked before she grabbed his lower lip between her teeth and gently pulled. At this, Negan let out a low growl and hoisted her up so her legs were around his waist and her back was pressed to the tile wall, kissing her deeply and cupping a breast in one hand. He nuzzled her face to the side, exposing her neck, and focused his attention there, nipping and kissing and sucking at her skin and no doubt leaving marks. Her hand made its way down his chest toward his groin, but before it could reach its destination there was a loud banging on the door.

Simon's voice called out from the other side "Negan, sorry to interrupt you, but there's some important shit going on that we need to talk about."

Negan pulled his head back, and Charlotte saw his face set in aggravation. "This had better be good." Poison laced his voice, but as his eyes met hers, he softened slightly. "You, don't think we're even close to being done here." He added as he let her legs fall gently to the ground, kissing her once more and slapping her ass as he opened the shower door, wrapped a towel around his waist, and exited the bathroom.

Charlotte finished her shower quickly, admittedly a bit flustered at Negan's quick departure, and came back out to the dark bedroom, where she could hear Gabriel snoring softly. She smiled as she thought of Negan's return and slipped under the silk sheets without dressing, hoping he would be back before she fell asleep. She lay in the dark for a while, thinking about the consequences of her actions with the man responsible for so much death. She wondered what Rick would say if he saw her now, or what Carl or Michonne would think. After what felt like hours, Charlotte slipped into a very uneasy sleep.

* * *

 **OH MY GOD excuse me for being such a piece of shit it's been so long since I've updated. I was stuck on a particular part of this for forever and was really blocked for a while, but I moved through it finally, so here's an extra long chapter filled with a little lovey-dovey stuff because I can. Also, I think I might do a little overhaul of this at some point in the future because I'm not really liking how Negan's character has progressed, but that's a lot of work so I think I'll just finish this and then rewrite later after I have everything out there.**

 **Thank you all for being awesome and patient, and I hope you liiiiiike it!**


	6. Chapter 6

Negan didn't come back that night, and when Charlotte woke to the sunlight streaming through the window of the empty room and found the bed cold next to her, she felt her heart sink. Thankfully Gabriel was still sleeping, so she had time to herself that she used to tidy up the room and unpack her things into the dresser alongside Negan's. She found a hairband among the items in the box and yanked her hair into a messy ponytail, brushing a few loose strands out of her face and getting on the floor to do a couple of quick push-ups. She continued lightly exercising – a combination of sit-ups, squats, lunges, and more push-ups – until she heard a soft noise from the parlor and stood. She pulled on a simple black dress, her curiosity getting the best of her as the noises continued to escalate, and moved to the door, placing her hand gently on the round metal knob. She pressed her ear to the wooden door in order to hear more clearly, but the noises were quieter now, so she silently turned the knob and pulled the door open. What she saw made her stomach drop.

On the couch that faced away from the bedroom, Charlotte saw Sarah sitting up, completely naked from what she could make out over the back of the couch, writhing over someone. Her head was thrown back and her hand was on her breast, and she saw Charlotte step into the room out of the corner of her eye. Charlotte moved closer to the couch in order to identify Sarah's partner, although her gut already told her who it was beneath her. Her suspicions were confirmed as she saw the familiar black hair and salt and pepper beard, and Sarah flashed her a wicked smile. The stone that weighed her gut down moments before turned into a fire, and before she could stop herself she had stormed to the other side of the couch, grabbed a fistful of blonde hair, and tore Sarah off of Negan and onto the carpeted parlor floor. She straddled the woman's bare waist, pinned her arms beneath her legs, and began whaling on Sarah, hitting everything she could reach, but mostly focusing on her face. In a matter of seconds, her knuckles were covered in blood. She was unsure of the exact damage she was doing, but she was sure Sarah's nose was at least broken, and she desperately wanted to do more, but a strong pair of arms had found their way around her waist and were now hauling her off of Sarah.

Charlotte began kicking and flailing her arms, screaming, "I will kill you, bitch! I will fucking _kill you_!" she was thrown down on the couch and Negan stepped in front of her, blocking her from the other woman. She breathed heavily, absolutely seething, and glared up at Negan.

"What the _fuck_ was that? You just beat the ever-living _shit_ out of Sarah here!" Instead of finding anger in his eyes, Charlotte was surprised to find a hint of amusement in them. She looked at him quizzically and he waved a hand, dismissing Sarah without another word to her. The woman looked shocked at his rude gesture, but gathered up her clothes and ran off. As soon as the door slammed behind her, Negan turned back to Charlotte, raising his eyebrows to prompt a response from her.

She huffed, shrugging her shoulders and adjusting herself on the couch so one of her legs was tucked under her and she leaned back on the couch. "I don't really like her much."

"You really expect me to believe you just started whaling on that chick because 'you don't like her'? Nah, I'm thinking there's definitely more to this story, so you're gonna tell me right now, okay?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes and looked away toward the window. "I can't stand her. I can't stand to hear her stupid voice, I can't stand to see her horrible face, I-" she stopped, casting her eyes downward, "I can't stand to see her with you. Negan, remember why I started staying here with you? How one of your wives threatened me?"

His face hardened with realization, but he let her continue. He wanted to be completely sure before he reacted, and her next words made his blood boil.

"It was her. It was Sarah. She came to me in the middle of the night and she had a knife and she really looked like she was going to do it. And when I saw her with you, she gave me this shit-eating grin and I lost it."

Negan's fist clenched and he bent down to give Charlotte a chaste kiss on the cheek. "I'll be right back. There are some things I need to attend to." He stood, but seemed to change his mind and leaned back down to kiss her deeply, letting his hand ghost against her cheek. "I _will_ come back."

He made his way to the door and rested his hand on the knob, turning slightly back to her with a trace of a smile on his lips. "My little Warrior Princess." And with that, he left her in the parlor alone to massage her quickly bruising knuckles. She threw her head back on the couch and exhaled sharply, closing her eyes.

She let her head fall so she was facing the wall opposite the windows and was thrilled when she caught sight of a plate full of fresh fruit. She decided to grab Gabriel, as the racket had probably woken him, to bring him out to the parlor so he could eat with her. She entered the large bedroom and walked to the crib, where the child stared up at her, blowing bubbles and smiling. Charlotte cooed her greeting and picked him up out of the crib, heading back to the plate of fruit and grabbing some things they could both eat.

Setting Gabriel down on the couch with a pillow propping him up, Charlotte peeled one of the bananas that she had grabbed and pushed a small piece into his open mouth, taking a bite for herself next. A small bit of drool dribbled down his chin and dripped onto his bare belly, and Charlotte swiped it up with her index finger and wiped it on her dress before serving him another bite. By the time they had finished off both bananas that she had grabbed, the baby had mysteriously become covered in spit and mashed banana, and Charlotte couldn't help but laugh.

The baby's face brightened in a smile that matched her own, and she heaved him up on her hip to bring him into the bathroom for a bath. She filled the large bathtub with a few inches of water, undressed herself and the baby, and climbed in the tub. She sat loosely cross-legged with Gabriel supported on her calves and began the wash them both, gently pouring water over him until the aftermath of his breakfast was cleared away. As she drained the water from the tub and began swaddling him in a small towel, she noticed a series of bumps on the backs of his thighs and butt. Her brow furrowed in concern and she lifted both of them out of the tub, hurrying to the bed and setting him down, running back to the bathroom to grab a towel and wrapped it around herself as she returned. She opened the baby's towel and inspected his legs a little more carefully, and sure enough the bumps were between his legs as well.

When Gabriel started to fuss, Charlotte clipped a diaper on him and tried cheering him up, giving him raspberries and tickling lightly under his chin. His cries quickly turned to cackles, and she continued blowing raspberries on his stomach until she heard a low chuckle from the open door of the bedroom. She turned, her hands still on the baby, to see Negan watching her from the door with a strange glint in his eyes.

"Hey," she breathed, standing up. "Everything go okay?"

Negan held up a hand, "Let's not talk about that right now. We'll just say it's being handled."

Charlotte nodded and picked Gabriel up, "Alright, that's fine. Is Doctor Carson available right now? I found some bumps on his legs and I want to get them checked out."

Concern flooded Negan's face and he quickly approached the two of them. "Is he okay? What kind of bumps?"

"I don't know, I've never really dealt with babies before. They don't look super serious, but I still want to get them checked just in case. That, and it would be good to have a normal check-up for him, to make sure he's healthy and everything."

Negan nodded, "Go ahead and get dressed and we can go right now. I'll put some clothes on him and we can get going as soon as you're ready."

Charlotte pulled on a small pair of shorts and a tank top, then turned to watch in amusement as Negan struggled to pull a faded green onesie over Gabriel's head. When he finished, he cast a dark look over in her direction, obviously annoyed that she had chosen to watch instead of help him. They walked in silence to the infirmary, where they found the door wide open and Doctor Carson thumbing through a book.

"Doctor Carson!" Negan boomed, "May we come in?"

The small man stood quickly and set his book down, "Of course, come on in. What can I help you with today?"

Negan motioned to Charlotte, who moved forward to set Gabriel down on the examination table. "I found some bumps on his legs today and wanted to have them checked out just in case."

Doctor Carson smiled stiffly at her and approached the child, snapping the onesie and diaper open and lifting his legs so he could get a better look. When he was satisfied with what he saw, he moved to a drawer behind the table and took out a small white tub. "My dear, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Young-" his eyes prompted her for a name.

"Gabriel."

"Of course. Young Gabriel here has a little diaper rash, which is extremely common in infants and very easily treatable." He handed her the tub of ointment, "Just slather this on him every time you change his diaper and it should clear up in no time."

Charlotte smiled, obviously relieved that nothing serious was wrong with him. "Could you weigh him or something? To make sure he's healthy."

The doctor nodded, snapped Gabriel up, and took him over to a scale. "Unfortunately we don't have the correct equipment for an infant specifically, but I'm sure we can make do with what we do have here. May I ask how old he is?"

Charlotte dug through her memory, struggling to remember roughly when Gabriel was born. "Seven months, maybe? Let's see, I think he was born in December and it's July now, right? So yeah, about seven months."

"Then he seems just about perfect for his age, I'd say." Carson handed Gabriel over to Charlotte with a smile, but Negan stepped in between them and took him instead.

"One more think, Doc." Negan's voice cut through, and he gave Charlotte a gentle push toward the doctor. "Ellen Ripley here recently took it upon herself to beat the shit out of someone and I want you to check her out and make sure she didn't hurt herself in the process."

Carson nodded and gestured for Charlotte to take a seat on the table, and Negan bent down to whisper in her ear. "Come back to _our_ room when you're finished here." He nuzzled his cheek roughly into hers, his beard scratching her skin and making her shudder.

Negan left with the child in his arms, making his way through the concrete halls to find Dwight. He threw open a door to the yard, sunlight pouring across his face, and found him standing next to his newest recruit, Eugene, ordering around a few other Saviors.

"Dwighty boy!" he called, clapping his hand on the smaller man's shoulder. "Did you set up that little thing I asked for earlier?"

Dwight set his jaw and cast a wary glance at Eugene. "Yeah, everything'll be ready when you are. I've already talked to the others and they're on board. Most of them aren't happy about it, but they don't really have a say, do they?"

"That's my boy," he clapped Dwight's back once more, "Oh, and I'm gonna need someone to watch this little monster while all of the fun stuff is going down."

Dwight looked uncomfortable at this, but nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah of course. No problem."

"Good man." Negan affirmed. He gave Eugene a slight nod and went back inside, heading back to his suite. He spent the next hour or so on the floor with Gabriel, keeping him entertained with his toys and stuffed animals. He was nuzzling a small sheep stuffed animal into the child's neck, making the baby cackle like crazy, when the parlor door cracked open to reveal Charlotte. Her knuckles were wrapped in white bandages and she was grinning from ear to ear at the sight of Negan being so soft. She knelt down beside him and stroked a hand over the baby's dark hair before turning back to Negan and scratching her fingers gently through his beard. He smiled warmly at her and leaned over to kiss her, pulling his fingers through the hair at the base of her neck. He then hauled himself to his feet, pulled Gabriel up on his chest, and offered a hand to Charlotte.

"Come on, I have something for you."

She grabbed his hand and he helped her to her feet before leading her to the bedroom, where she saw a large black mound heaped on the bed. She approached it to find it was a huge pile of clothing and turned back to throw Negan a confused look.

"We're having a sort of ceremony tonight and I thought you might want to wear something a little nicer. I had one of my men bring up whatever he thought might fit you, and I thought black was your color." He said the last bit with a dark smirk.

Charlotte rolled her eyes and breathed out a laugh, picking up the first piece of clothing her hand rested on. It was a strapless dress that she could immediately tell would be too small for her, so she tossed it to the side and moved on. When she had sorted through everything, she was left with two piles: things that would fit and things that wouldn't. The former, sadly, was a much smaller pile, but she quickly changed in and out of each dress until she found her favorite. It was a vintage style, halter necked dress with a high, cinched waist, and came down just above her knees.

"I think this is the one." She spun around so the bottom of the dress flared.

A low whistle came from Negan. "God _damn_ woman, if I didn't have this kid right now…" he exhaled and the smirk came back to his lips.

"You're a horrible man." Charlotte laughed, coming up to place a hand on his shoulder. "So, if I may ask, what exactly is this 'ceremony' you speak of?" she cocked an eyebrow.

He traced a finger under her chin, lifting her face to look her in the eye. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise. Therefore, both the effect and the special moment would be lost."

She snorted, "Alright, Mr. Secretive," she gave him a quick peck before moving to change back into her clothes, "why don't you show me a little around this place? So I'm not just wandering blindly every time I leave the room."

Negan watched in longing as Charlotte's tank top slipped over her belly, and when she turned to face him in order to leave, his lower lip was captured between his teeth and his eyes seemed to devour her. She blushed and pushed past him to the door and he followed hesitant, giving Gabriel a mock grumpy look as he led her out into the concrete halls of the Sanctuary.

Negan showed her everything to the makeshift automotive garage to the market and anything in between. He brought her to a stall in the market where an old woman was selling jewelry and coaxed her to look at the many items the woman had.

"What's your favorite color?" he prodded.

"Red." She answered without thinking. Negan nodded to the woman, who proceeded to pull everything she had with red in it onto her main table. He gestured down to the merchandise on the table and Charlotte hesitated.

"Pick out whatever you'd like, little Warrior Queen. I'd say you earned it." He winked and she proceeded to pick up each piece of jewelry individually, looking over each one before she found a ruby necklace with a silver chain that she decided she liked. It was simple; the chain was thin and the gems were small and delicate, and when she nodded in satisfaction, Negan thanked the vendor, scribbled something down on a piece of paper, and continued around the market. They grabbed a few woolen blankets that Charlotte liked, along with a small octopus stuffed animal for Gabriel and a couple of disposable razors.

They returned to the room with a little over an hour to spare before Negan's secret ceremony and Charlotte disappeared immediately to the bathroom to shower and shave, leaving Negan to once again entertain Gabriel. She decided to keep her hair dry so it would be easier to style and quickly finished in the bathroom, emerging in her towel to smile as she watched Negan play with Gabriel on the bed. She made her way over to them from behind him and placed a hand on his back, propping a knee up on the bed next where he sat. She saw him smile and he turned to face her, placing a large hand on her thigh and rubbing small circles on the soft skin with his thumb. He slid his hand to the underside of her thigh and, maintaining eye contact with her the whole time, Negan leaned down and pressed his lips to the spot where his thumb was before. Charlotte sighed softly and pulled her fingers through his dark hair, her eyes closing slightly. His eyes smiled devilishly up into hers and he nipped hard, earning a cry from her, and she yanked his hair so his head was tilted up toward hers.

"Ouch." She challenged through gritted teeth. He let a small chuckle escape him before moving up to capture her lips. The kiss was deep but broken too quickly, and Charlotte grunted in frustration as Negan stood and made his way into the bathroom to get himself ready for the evening. Charlotte dressed quickly and plaited her hair into a simple braid before pulling a black onesie and sweatpants on Gabriel as he gurgled happily. Negan was quick in the bathroom, and as he emerged he came up behind her with the necklace in hand, placing a warm kiss on the side of her neck before clasping the chain around her neck. He let his hand rest at the base of her neck, massaging lightly, until she turned to face him and pulled her arms around his neck.

A soft knock sounded at the door, and Negan begrudgingly moved to open it, revealing a small dark haired woman that Charlotte recognized to be Sherry. The woman held a small cloth bag out to Negan, who eagerly snatched it up, thanked her, and returned to Charlotte. She took the bag and zipped it open, revealing makeup in such a large amount that she was left to wonder how the hell they had come across it.

"Thank you, but I don't really know what to do with it." She explained shyly, and Sherry took a hesitant step into the room.

"I can help," she offered, holding out her hand. "I've helped a few of the other girls out with it before, so I'm not exactly new to it." Sherry offered a small smile, which Charlotte eagerly returned before handing over the bag.

"Alrighty then. I guess the kid and I'll give you two a little privacy while you get all dolled up." Negan picked Gabriel up and moved the two of them to the the next twenty minutes, Sherry busied herself with adorning Charlotte's eyes with makeup. She was using mostly reds and blacks to make her blue-gray eyes stand out more, and for the most part leaving the rest of her face alone, save for the tiniest hint of blush on her cheeks. When Sherry had finished, she stepped back and smiled.

"Beautiful," was all she said. Charlotte tucked her chin and blushed.

"Thank you, Sherry. Really."

Sherry placed a hand on Charlotte's shoulder. "Of course, Charlotte," and moved to the parlor door. She placed her hand on the doorknob and turned slightly, continuing with "You know, I've never seen him act the way he does when he's around you. You're pretty special, kid. And it was about time someone kicked Sarah's ass." She smiled and left the room.

A few moments later, Negan reentered, smiling. He whistled and approached her, Gabriel resting his head on his shoulder. She offered to take the baby, but instead Negan held out his arm for her, which she gladly looped hers through.

"Ready?" he prompted, leading her through the halls. She nodded, a nervous pit forming in her stomach, but she smiled through it, trying to mentally prepare herself for whatever was waiting for her.

* * *

 **Hello friends, this chapter is long AF but cool :)**

 **Had a total mental breakdown earlier this week, but I'm good now. On a different note, spring semester for me here at college is almost done, so I'm super happy and looking forward to being able to write much more often!**

 **WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK OF THE FINALE OMG**

 **Tbh I'm really sick of hearing people bitch about TWD and the writer's decisions and tiny errors that literally no one cares about? I saw a post today complaining about how the episode " _focused on a relationship that no one cared about_ " like excuuuuuuussseeee me? Sasha and Abraham were adorable and their relationship was super important to the events of this episode because it influenced like all of her decisions? And they were adorable AF, so fight me over it**

 **I just have a lot of emotions over this show and I need someone to talk to me about it until the next season premiere**

 **ILY, thanks for reading**


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